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Who knew cleaning wipes had so many diverse uses? Removing spilt pasta sauce from dining tabletops; exterminating bacteria in kitchens; wiping away the gay. According to research released last week, straight people show the need to "physically cleanse" at the very thought of contact with gay men. "Yuck", was my initial reaction  sadly, a response reciprocated among many of the study's participants  but they do provide a fascinating insight into what makes homophobia tick.

Let me explain what the researchers at Goldsmiths University found. In the first study, British students who were asked to imagine borrowing a phone from a gay man came up with significantly more words about cleansing in a word-completion task. In another study, Portuguese students were offered either a yellow pencil or yellow disinfecting wipe after the experiment; those who imagined borrowing a phone from a gay man were more likely to choose the wipe. And, finally, Polish students  again asked to imagine borrowing a phone from a gay man  expressed a preference for cleaning products. Seems pretty definitive: on a subconscious level, gay men are seen as a contaminant, something to be washed away. "Ugh, I've got gay on me!", if you will.

Why would anyone want a yellow pencil.Maybe I might want a wipe, after taking someones phone. Though I am not very phobic about germs. But why a "yellow wipe". What is this emphasis on yellow? If the wipe were pink, would the people still want it, or would that spread the gay?

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From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need 1875 K Marx